July 23, 2010; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland A

The start of spring training is getting closer, but is your enthusiasm level at an all-time low like mine? Do you find yourself frustrated by the fact that the A’s are doomed to suffer through an excruciating long season filled with disappointment?

The frequent assembling, dismantling, and inconsistent youth movements have grown stale. The A’s are on the brink of falling off the map completely, especially if the team is denied its bid to relocate to the tech-savy city of San Jose. A’s co-owner Lew Wolff and company are, according to popular opinion, running this organization into the ground…on purpose.

Wolff wants the Athletics out of Oakland. It was apparent since day one. Oakland, to Wolff, is not an ideal place for a major league baseball team.

Still, Wolff contends that this winter’s dismantling of his only three All-Stars was not done out of spite for the city of Oakland. According to Wolff, he wants to “win.” Well, the definition of the word “win” is as follows: to be successful or victorious in (a contest or conflict). Does that definition accurately describe the atmosphere currently being created by Wolff? … [visit site to read more]

Poll: Does Lew Wolff Really Care? - Swingin' A's - Swingin' A's - An Oakland Athletics Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

I personally was surprised, due to the fact that Billy Beane and the A’s organization said that no one would be safe from trade or otherwise.  Although, mercurynews.com is reporting that, “General manager Billy Beane said he hoped all along to re-sign Crisp even as he traded away several other key players that signal the A’s are looking beyond 2012.”

… [visit site to read more]

Should Coco Crisp Have Resigned With Oakland? - Swingin' A's - Swingin' A's - An Oakland Athletics Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More

Fourth Option: Is Collin Cowgill an upgrade in Oakland's thin outfield? (Photo Credit: FutureBacks.com)

Over the next couple of days Swingin’ A’s will take a closer look at some of the prospects the Athletics scored in the Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey trades. Next we look at Collin Cowgill, the small-framed, but potentially power-slugging outfielder the A’s acquired in the Cahill deal.

The A’s enter 2012 with a completely overhauled outfield, well, almost completely overhauled. The A’s retained their center fielder Coco Crisp for a cool $14 million and the deal finally reveals that Billy Beane has gone cuckoo for Coco Puffs. Other than Crisp, however, Oakland’s outfield makeup figures to be much, much different this year.

Josh Willingham and David DeJesus are both long gone, having escaped the confines of O.co Coliseum via free agency this winter. Beane and the rest of Oakland’s front office know that there are many holes to fill and while keeping Crisp helps fill some of those holes, the team is banking on a few other players to step up and deliver. … [visit site to read more]

A Closer Look: Collin Cowgill - Swingin' A's - Swingin' A's - An Oakland Athletics Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and More